Compare and contrast...

[Rich]

Derby County skipper Robbie Savage insists that finishing in mid-table in the Championship would constitute a successful season.

Nottingham Forest striker Nathan Tyson says there is a feeling at the City Ground that the club can challenge for automatic promotion this season.



What was that comment you made a while ago, Savage? "The kid’s not played a single Premier League match for heaven’s sake, and he’s giving it all of that"

Good times indeed!

 

[earthworm]

Makes great reading does that. Reckon we'll be making him eat those words when we go to Prideless Park next year? You've got to believe we can turn them over at their place in this form. Wonder when the last time we did that was?

 

[yam]

At the rate the sheep are going they ought to be thankful that there are 3 teams worse than them.

If Ipswich ever win a game I'd start being worried if I was a sheep fan.

 

[birkin youth]

I don't think Derby will spend much time in the relegation zone, but they will flounder around 16th-21st for most of the season.

They have found their level though. When they got relegated from the Premier League they came down with Reading and Birmingham City.
Reading finished in the play-offs last season, and City went straight back up.

Okay, so Reading are struggling at the moment, but at least they showed some signs of quality last season: Derby have shown absolutely no signs of being a competitve Championship side at all.

 

[Daniel]

Derby County skipper Robbie Savage insists that finishing in mid-table in the Championship would constitute a successful season.

Nottingham Forest striker Nathan Tyson says there is a feeling at the City Ground that the club can challenge for automatic promotion this season.



What was that comment you made a while ago, Savage? "The kid’s not played a single Premier League match for heaven’s sake, and he’s giving it all of that"

Good times indeed!

I think Savage needs to blow out as much hot air as possible to keep his hair dry.

 

[FBS]

Derby County skipper Robbie Savage insists that finishing in mid-table in the Championship would constitute a successful season.

Nottingham Forest striker Nathan Tyson says there is a feeling at the City Ground that the club can challenge for automatic promotion this season.



What was that comment you made a while ago, Savage? "The kid’s not played a single Premier League match for heaven’s sake, and he’s giving it all of that"

Good times indeed!

Also add into the mix the difference of positivities with both sets of fans

 

[winnits]

At the rate the sheep are going they ought to be thankful that there are 3 teams worse than them.

If Ipswich ever win a game I'd start being worried if I was a sheep fan.

Ipswich have Derby in a couple of games time. I imagine that will be their first win

 

[Rich]

Ipswich have Derby in a couple of games time. I imagine that will be their first win

That would be glorious!

 

[king_congo_red]

That would be glorious!

Indeed. Especially considering Derby were very fortunate to beat Peterborough earlier in the season.

I'd suggest that things can and likely will get worse for them.

 

[earthworm]

Indeed. Especially considering Derby were very fortunate to beat Peterborough earlier in the season.

I'd suggest that things can and likely will get worse for them.

How long do you give little Clough before he gets the boot?

 

[king_congo_red]

How long do you give little Clough before he gets the boot?

I think he's actually got a very long leash. For one thing, if some of the financial figures being banded about are true, they can't afford to sack him and if they did, they'd certainly have to bring in someone even cheaper. Secondly, the board seem to be using the Clough name in order to obtain patience from certain sections of their support.

 

[birkin youth]

Also, I think the fans will give him more time than they would anyone else.

In my opinion, his job would only be in question if they were to be relegated, and I am pretty sure that won't happen.

Nigel staying at Derby is a good thing though. He assembled that shower of shit, and it's him that isn't up to the job. Long may it continue!

 

[goatboy]

All true, but surely that means as soon as the fans start turning on Nigel (and by the look of their forums he's well on his way to Megsonhood) their reason to keep him will be gone and they'll want to bring in a Kinnear or Bassett type to keep them up. If they sink into the zone and stay there until the end of January or something, he'll be off.

 

[king_congo_red]

All true, but surely that means as soon as the fans start turning on Nigel (and by the look of their forums he's well on his way to Megsonhood) their reason to keep him will be gone and they'll want to bring in a Kinnear or Bassett type to keep them up. If they sink into the zone and stay there until the end of January or something, he'll be off.

AT the moment it seems to be a small (but vocal) net minority that are venting...although as we know from Calderwood's reign this will eventually turn into pretty much everyone on a match-day.

 

[earthworm]

All true, but surely that means as soon as the fans start turning on Nigel (and by the look of their forums he's well on his way to Megsonhood) their reason to keep him will be gone and they'll want to bring in a Kinnear or Bassett type to keep them up. If they sink into the zone and stay there until the end of January or something, he'll be off.

Lol, Megsonhood. That's a special word you've come up with serry.

 

[Daniel]

I didn't want to start a new thread but sums up our situation quite well I think... from the brilliant http://www.stressandpie.co.uk/

This is a very strange land indeed. This is the Land of Going Slowly Mad, or the Land of Being Very Drunk. We have trudged our way over the sorry wastes and hacked our way through the thorns, and here we are, where the beech trees are tall and the sun glints through the high canopy even at midnight, and the floor is a carpet of green moss you could sleep on forever.

This is the land where Guy Moussi scores his first goal for Forest in the 93rd minute of an achingly frustrating match, launches himself into the Trent End, gets a second yellow (for which the referee apologises), and exits stage right. I've never felt more like singing the Moose, when Forest win and Derby lose.

A strange, strange land this, where the rapture is tainted with uncomfortable thoughts. How long has it been since the bond between players and fans has been so strong? When did we last win five in a row? When were we so high in the league? Why does everything we touch turn to gold? Why is all this faintly embarrassing? Why do we keep winning, when surely the plan was to draw a few, lose a few, and settle comfortably into the easy chair of mid table? When will we wake up? How bad will the hangover be?

This is the land where the great Derby PR scam unravels like a cheap rug, and you begin to pity them; where Newcastle begin to learn just how buggered a club they really are; where Sheffield Undead start to burn in hell, and Southgate gets sacked for having a long face and not beating Derby heavily enough; where the top of the table is so tight you can hear the pips squeak and watch the blood vessels burst in the managers' eyes.

And we just sit here, on this cool forest floor, as happy as an old drunken soldier, watching the mayhem around us. It can't go on, of course. There are injuries and suspensions, and tough battles ahead, and you can't ride your luck forever. Tomorrow we may wake with vomit on our shoes. But for now, in this place, we can snore our way through proud and fitful dreams. It's a long time since we were in Wonderland, but that's where we are. Tomorrow can take care of itself.

 

[T.B.T.]

I think he's actually got a very long leash.

Just long enough to hang himself!

I think Nigel is clearly out of his depth which doesn't come as any great surprise.

The test for any manager is how they perform when the chips are down and I see little evidence that Nigel has what it takes to drag Derby up the league. They will probably survive relegation but end the season looking up rather than down.

It was no other than Brian who said that there are games which are won before a ball is kicked, or words to that effect, which illustrates how the mindset and confidence of players before a match can win matches.

When your manager believes, then so do the players. Personally, I think Nigel wonders what the hell he's let himself into.

 

[king_congo_red]

I think Nigel is clearly out of his depth which doesn't come as any great surprise.

In fairness to Clough Jnr, I don't think any manager would be able to do anything with the current set-up at Derby, not even his father in his prime...so I don't believe it's any knock on his abilities or a reflection on being out of his depth.

 

[RedMark]

How long do you give little Clough before he gets the boot?

I think he will be gone by Xmas, saying that if a decent manager comes along they may get rid sooner.

Derby have a knack of starting peoples winning streak, wasn't it Barnsley who beat them to start their fun of form ? Hope Ipswich do the same (without the mini run though )

 

[RRRREDUN]

I can't work out what is happening at Derby. We keep getting informed by Sheep that their debt is down to a manageable £15 million or so, that their crowds are huge (and bringing in a shed-load of cash), yet they are putting their 'fans' through this s--t. Why is it important therefore for them to
1. Reduce their wage bill
2. Reduce their ambition to merely that of survival?
I think we should be told.
BTW, I've heard that pts 1 and 2 above (if achieved) will ensure Nige's survival as manager.

 

[T.B.T.]

In fairness to Clough Jnr, I don't think any manager would be able to do anything with the current set-up at Derby, not even his father in his prime...so I don't believe it's any knock on his abilities or a reflection on being out of his depth.

I don't claim to know much about the management of Derby to know what state the current set-up was/is like, yet the leap in management by not one but two football divisions was a big ask then and remains to be so now.

I think Nigel was as ready for Derby as we are for promotion to the Premiership. Slowly slowly spanking monkies and all that.

 

[king_congo_red]

I don't claim to know much about the management of Derby to know what state the current set-up was/is like, yet the leap in management by not one but two football divisions was a big ask then and remains to be so now.

I think Nigel was as ready for Derby as we are for promotion to the Premiership. Slowly slowly spanking monkies and all that.

Well indeed...but I'm basing my assumptions on the fact that Paul Jewell, who became something of a figure of fun post-Derby, was actually rated amoing the top managerial talents in the Country before his stint at Pride Park and even our own Billy Davies failed in that environment. Given that, I'm not sure how fair it is to judge Cloughie too harshly.

 

[T.B.T.]

Well indeed...but I'm basing my assumptions on the fact that Paul Jewell, who became something of a figure of fun post-Derby, was actually rated amoing the top managerial talents in the Country before his stint at Pride Park and even our own Billy Davies failed in that environment. Given that, I'm not sure how fair it is to judge Cloughie too harshly.

I hear what you're saying and agree that there are few, if any, out there who could perhaps do a better job. Something's going wrong somewhere.

Also, we do not really not upon what perameters Nigel is being judged by the club. I doubt it's as lowly as survival yet if it's a respectable mid table position, and that's what they get, then his objectives have been achieved. If it's a promotion push then, he's going to be struggling.

He would have been well aware of exactly what was expected of him before taking on the job no matter how big a challenge. Talking with some Derby fans, they do not believe he has it in him to deliver the best and push the team back to the top flight. Certainly not for the foreseeable and I tend to agree.

 

[winnits]

1. They don't make any money from food and drink sales in the ground.
2. They give their tickets away.
3. They need to pay for the shitty t-shirts they're giving away at the weekend
4. They have to pay Robbie Cabbage's wages.

 

[weasel]

Derby couldn't be about to sack a Clough, could they?

It was always going to end in tears.